I thought about live-blogging or drafting this post during the game, but I'm sort of glad I didn't because I would've written a Wow-That-Sucked post, then deleted it and written a Despite-His-Neil-O'Donnell-Like-Efforts-Big-Ben -Managed-Not-To-Completely-Throw-The-Game post, and then deleted that and written this little Aww-Shucks-Better-Luck-Next-Season post. That's just way too much effort; this blog is all about half-assing things. (And apparently loving the - button.)
So the season is officially over and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit disappointed, especially since we came back from behind and got thisclose to winning the game. But considering how far we came from last year's dismal season with a rookie coach and an injury-plagued team, I really can't be that disappointed. In fact, I'm rather impressed we did this well.
I'm especially impressed with Mr. Roethlisberger's improved play. He's managed to silence all of last year's naysayers who declared that he was a flash in the pan whose career was over and prove that he's back and better than ever. He broke the Steelers franchise records for passer rating (and was second only to Tom Brady in the league) and touchdowns (#3 in the league), and all this despite an O-line that allowed him to be sacked more than 50 times this season. Pretty damn impressive. I think he's still highly underrated (and better than Tony Romo), but that's another rant for another time.
I'll just leave you with my brief notes on the season:
-Despite Bob Ligashesky's assurances to the contrary, special teams continues to be cataclysmically, game-ruiningly awful.
-We're still getting waaay too many stupid penalties.
-Big Ben is probably safer on his motorcycle than behind our O-line. They allowed him to be sacked 47 times in the regular season and like 5 times tonight [Ed. Note - it was actually 6]. This is even more disastrous than it looks at first glance when you consider how good Ben is at escaping sacks. Pittsburgh's O-line couldn't stop my grandmother from sacking Big Ben. And she's got Parkinson's and 2 fake knees.
-Sean Mahan was a terrible acquisition and probably the main reason for the stat above. With Alan Faneca most likely gone next season, it ain't gonna get any better. Coach Tomlin's got some serious retooling to do.
-Daniel Sepulveda was a much better acquisition. His punts don't go a whole lot further than Chris "I-Make-Up-For-Never-Having-A-Punt-Blocked -By-Only-Punting-The-Ball-30-Yards" Gardocki, but let's not forget that awesome punt fake for a 32-yd completion to Najeh Davenport. He can pass and has the ability to do this. Upgrade.
-Ike Taylor still cannot catch.
-Anthony Smith is not, in fact, true to his word.
-When he's not injured and getting in trouble with the law, Santonio Holmes is pretty damn awesome.
-I'm impressed with Mike Tomlin's coaching so far. As well as his continuing ability to look just like Omar Epps.
-Willie Parker's broken leg and his replacement by Najeh Davenport allowed me to use twice as many "Dump Truck" jokes as usual. While I obviously missed Willie and was sad that he didn't get the rushing title, this was a nice consolation prize.
-Best of all, this was the season that brought us the unparalleled fabulosity of Steely McBeam. Heeeeey!
Well that just about does it. We'll keep you up to date w/ the other playoff games as we feel like it. As for me personally, I'm rooting for ANYONE besides the Patriots and Cowboys. That would be a Super Bowl of unprecedented evil. But more on that unspeakable possibility later.
[Photo by Getty Images]
Labels: nfl playoffs, pittsburgh steelers
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@ Trenton
Yes, passer ratings do make a difference in games. Just look at the QBs with the Top 5 passer ratings in the NFL - all made it to the playoffs. Look at the QBs with the Top 5 passing yards in the NFL - only 3 of them made it to the playoffs. Also, look at who currently has the most career perfect passer ratings - Peyton Manning and Big Ben - just coincidentally both Super Bowl winners in the past 2 years. CRAZY I KNOW. Sorry, but an accurate quarterback has always been more important than a QB who can throw long bombs (See Rex Grossman).
Tony Romo makes plays in the air? LOL. Your QB has proven himself to be nothing without T.O. (see the Redskins game) and has absolutely killed the Cowboys on multiple occasions this season (see 5 INT in Buffalo game and the Eagles game). Need I even mention that he led the league in interceptions until the last week or so? Or that hilarious playoff exit last season? Dude's never even won a playoff game. Whereas Ben went to the AFC Championship his first season (and was 13-0 in the regular season) and won the Super Bowl his second. But yes, Tony Romo clearly owns him. Your logic is flawless.
Sounds like someone's just getting a little over excited since they haven't won a playoff game in over a decade. Don't drink and comment.
Oh, and our #2 receiver is (Super Bowl MVP) Hines Ward.
that's some tough love.
it was a good season, but our offensive line plays like frightened little children, so we better do something to fix that if we expect to be contenders again next season.
passing ratings mean junk. you have to watch the damn games. if you looked at the passer ratings for romo in buffalo you'd think he committed suicide after the first quarter. the best thing about Ben R. is that is has willie parker to rely on. if ben is doing poorly, they can put it on his shoulders, and he's rediculous. i missed watching him run saturday, he's sick. passer ratings are just an arbitrary number. it's like saying that ben's 3/4 release when throwing sidearm in the top half of the 4th quarter when up in the game by an even number is better than romo's.
we didn't play to win the redskins game. we shouldn't have played romo at all, that was stupid. thankfully for the skins, he didn't show up anyway. the only game romo has lost for us is the eagles game. not the fumbled snap in the playoffs, cause i really don't think our defense could have stopped the seahawks last year anyway. yeah, 5 ints in buffalo and he still wins the game.
for 4th quarter, 2 minute drills, i want brady, manning, and romo, in that order. again, ben is at his best when he throws the ball 25 times or under. he needs a running game to keep a defense spread out. romo will do what he wants. and yeah, he's not as good with TO, his number one receiver, but what QB is? is donovan mcnabb not good this year, or does he have no one to throw to? you get the automatic double-team with TO, which frees up witten, hurd, crayton, and barber. if you take holmes or ward away from ben r. (like earlier in the season) he's not as effective. except against seattle, who is a joke when they see a winning record.
and about the superbowl, put romo in one and i'm pretty sure he won't have a 22.6 rating, since you want to talk about ratings. i'm pretty sure we'll be able to see what happens there pretty soon. lets just hope the jags can put the pats away so we might actually have a chance to win it.
btw, i was HAMMERED when i posted that.
You broke down the Steelers better than most "pro" analysts out there. You did miss one point, though: Tomlin needs to make some better decisions on his play calling. Much better decisions.
I remember watching the mud bowl Monday night game against the Fins where the short passing game was working beautifully for the first drive. Then Ben rolled out and made a bad decision which led to an interception. After that, Tomlin kept trying to run in that crap and would not pass the ball at all. Penalties also killed them that night.
Welcome back, Red :D
Cowboys Fans: Functionally Illiterate Since 1960™
@ trenton
i can't make much sense of your first paragraph, so i'll refrain from commenting on it except to say that passer ratings are NOT arbitrary numbers. they're calculated by a precise mathematical formula based on completions, yardage, touchdowns, and interceptions - the standards by which quarterbacking is measured. you know this.
you could argue that wins are the measure of a quarterback, but ben beats romo on that front too, as we previously discussed. sure, romo managed a staggering 2 more wins than roethlisberger this season (ben didn't play the last week), but ben didn't have 11 other pro bowlers on his team - he just had a host of problems.
i don't know what you guys were doing with the redskins game, but you played most of your starters (all of the important ones besides t.o. anyways) and romo still sucked a fat dick.
if i remember correctly, i believe an onside kick and a field goal won you the buffalo game, not romo. exactly what you previously referred to as "winning DESPITE your quarterback." you can't damn one quarterback with that and then congratulate another and expect to make a valid argument.
as for arbitrary numbers, your "big ben is best when he throws the ball 25 times or under" assertion is just that - an arbitrary number. this is a stupid and pointless argument to make in the first place because pittsburgh is a notorious rushing team, so for the most part you would expect that their QB will post fewer than 25 attempts, but what the hell i'll humor it anyways.
looking @ this season, it's true that ben was 6/7 when he threw at or under 25 passes and 4/7 when he threw over - but one of those over 25 losses was to the patriots, so we're pretty much even there (w/o me further breaking down the other losses and attributing them to special teams and a faltering defense). look at the '05 and '04 seasons and he won regardless of how many attempts he made.
also, ben won all the games w/o holmes and was 1/2 w/o hines. he's got miller, spaeth, and washington and he can make things happen.
wow, say that passer ratings don't matter and in the next breath try to ba-zing me by pointing out an isolated example of my own QB's poor passer rating (in a game he won). way to bring it full circle?
why must you bring neil o'donnell into this? he had one bad game in his career and led his team to a super bowl. if the steelers woulda lost super bowl 40, would ben have been thrown out of town like neil? no he wouldnt have. stop being a yinzer and understand the fact that neil o'donnell was a good QB and is the all time leader in TD to INT ratio in NFL history.